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| Africa: North |
| Al-Qaeda using propaganda from Egyptian sectarianism |
| 2005-10-22 |
| An anti-Christian demonstration by a thousand or so Muslims outside the Coptic Christian church in Alexandria, Egypt last week earned only a few lines in the Arab dailies and was largely overlooked by the Western media. But this religious flash-point did not escape the notice of the jihadi groups linked to al-Qaeda, in fact they have turned it into anti-Christian video-propaganda on the Internet. Footage of the demonstration at Muharram Bik, near Alexandria, has appeared on forums used by al-Qaeda linked groups, with an exhortation to follow this example and attack Christians."Oh Islam, we will defend you with our body and soul!; "Christians and Jews, the army of Mohammed will return": these were just two of the slogans shouted by the crowd who staged a rally outside the church in Muharram Bik, after unconfirmed rumours that it had hosted a theatre performance that offended the prophet Mohammed. Video film of Wednesday's protest appeared on Friday on a forum much used by al-Qaeda aligned groups. The five-minute sequence follows various stages of the demonstration, which was prevented by riot police from getting near the church. After this protest, a statement threatening the clerics of the church, signed "mujahadeen of Egypt", appeared on the Internet on 18 October. The Islamist group , which has also claimed responsiblity for the Sharm el-Sheikh bombings, incited Muslims to take action against Christians in revenge for the alleged offence against Mohammed. "After hearing this news, we had decided without hesitation to destroy that church," it said, noting that the "government dogs" - the police - had surrounded the place of worship to protect it. However the group goes on to make further threats, adding: "Any Christian from that church who reads a sermon there will become one of the targets." Someone was taking heed, as two days later the Al-Quds al-Arabi paper headlined: "Muslim student stabs nun in the church of Alexandria". On 19 October, a student brandishing a knife entered the church shouting anti-Christian slogans. The man, later identified as Ali al-Jani, wounded the nun and a person who intervened to protect her. The Coptic Christian minority in Egypt is numerically the largest Christian community in the Arab world and percentage-wise, the second after Lebanon. Copts make up ten per cent of the Egyptian population and were present in the country prior to the arrival of Islam. Normally tranquil relations between Egypt's predominantly Muslim population and the Copts occasionally become tense, particularly over allegations of forced conversions. |
| Posted by:Dan Darling |
| #1 I find it supremely ironic that al Qaeda squawks endlessly about a "crusade" against Islam while they wage their own campaign of violence against all other religions. Sauce for the proverbial goose needs to be pumped up their collective @sses until their heads explode. |
| Posted by: Zenster 2005-10-22 16:44 |